THE TRANSFORMATION of Ireland requires the commitment and contribution of its youth, President Michael D Higgins has said as he launched an initiative encouraging young Irish people at home and abroad to offer ideas on how they imagine the country’s future.
“Now, more than ever, we need your energy, your ideas, your ideals, your creativity, your courage,” Mr Higgins told attendees yesterday at the launch of Being Young and Irish, the first in a series of seminars he plans to host during his term.
“Your country needs your passion, your innovation and your vision. This discussion on the kind of country that we want to create can contribute to that transformation we seek.”
He said the Being Young and Irish project, which will involve a multimedia consultation process and regional workshops, “seeks to hear the voices of young Ireland: what life is like for you; what is going well and not so well; what you would like to change; and how you think this should happen”.
Mr Higgins noted 40 per cent of Ireland’s population is under 30, making it one of the youngest countries in the world. He said “too many young people” were suffering as a result of the economic crisis. Some 30 per cent – or 80,000 – of those under 25 are unemployed.
“[They] have inherited a recently bruised, battered and indebted nation, yet it is also one that has a legacy of facing immense challenges,” he said. “I am inviting young people to join a partnership of young and old . . . By listening to its young Irish, their stories and ideas, and by involving them, Ireland has the potential to transform our society in a profound and exciting way.” Attendees at the launch at Áras an Uachtaráin included representatives from national youth organisations, the GAA, and the youth wings of the main political parties.
Mr Higgins called on young people aged 17 to 26 to use whatever media they preferred to put forward their vision for Ireland. He mentioned as examples narrative, song, poetry, video or audio recordings.
“The central goal is to engage young people as active and reflective citizens in contemporary Ireland and to recognise, affirm and encourage them as one of the sources of wisdom in solving core social, political, economic and cultural issues confronting Ireland,” he said. “I’m inviting young people to be the arrow rather than the target for the changes we are going through.”
In addition to the consultation process, Mr Higgins will host a number of face-to-face workshops across the country. All this will culminate with a final seminar to be held in Áras an Uachtaráin later this year. The President will also publish a final report on the initiative which he will deliver to the relevant authorities and agencies.
“It isn’t a case of the report being presented and then forgotten,” he said.
The deadline for online and postal submissions to the consultation is September 29th, 2012. Further information can be found at president.ie/being-young-irish
IN THEIR OWN WORDS WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY
Conor McNamee, 17, secondary school student from Edenderry, Co Offaly
I hope our voices will be heard through this project. I think the Government is not really making youth a priority – they think emigration will solve the problem for them. When I talk with my friends about life after college, we almost take it for granted that we will be emigrating.
My generation feels we have a lot to contribute here at home.
Aisling Jarvis, 20, from Dún Laoghaire, studying music production and sound recording
This initiative is a good idea because there isn't very much to be positive about when it comes to being young and Irish right now. I hope people will listen to us.
Larry Ajiboye, 24, studying accountancy
I'm from Nigeria and I'm hoping to contribute a different perspective. For me it's not just about the recession, it's about how we live our lives, the culture we surround ourselves with. Being young and Irish should be about more than just getting drunk. We need more engagement.
Niamh Donnelly, 17, secondary school student from Castlebar, Co Mayo
I would like see a bridge of understanding built between the generations so that together we can effect change on issues that concern us all like unemployment or mental health.
Sean Cassidy, from Chapelizod, Dublin, studying economics, politics and law at DCU
Previous efforts to address youth in Ireland have often seemed tokenistic but I hope this will be different. I would like to see real civic engagement from young people. We have so much to contribute. There has never been a cultural revolution in Ireland – I think something like that might happen soon and it will come from the youth.